One of the Pittsburgh Steelers' most notable rivalries throughout its history was with the Dallas Cowboys, as the two sides have met in the Super Bowl on multiple occasions. That was more of a prevalent rivalry during the 1970s and the 1990s. Now, Pittsburgh's most intense rivalry is with the Baltimore Ravens, and it is not even close. The two play one another twice a season, and there is some playoff history between the two rivals as well. Baltimore recently took down the Steelers in the first round of the playoffs at the end of the 2024 season.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers' offense getting ready for a play against the Baltimore Ravens in the 2024 Wild Card Round.
The rivalry with the Ravens has been a thing since the inception of the Baltimore franchise back in 1996. The AFC North was formed in 2002, and that heightened the rivalry. The other two teams in the division, the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns, try to start rivalries with Baltimore and Pittsburgh - but the two franchises have been mostly irrelevant.
Former Ravens offensive lineman, Mike Flynn, recently participated in an interview with Recruiting Board, and he spoke about the rivalry between Pittsburgh and Baltimore. He played for the Ravens for 10 seasons, which included many clashes with Pittsburgh.
"Hateable, very hateable," Flynn said of the Steelers. "Very hateable team, very hateable city, very hateable fan base. I still dislike them. I like seeing them lose more than the Ravens win. A lot of that has to do with we lost a lot of tough games to them and still do. It was never a rivalry until, finally, in 2000, when we finally bit back. We won in Three Rivers Stadium for the first time in Ravens history. Then it became a rivalry, and it got nasty. You name it, fights in the field, fights going out to the bus. They were great to play in. I do miss that."
Flynn's hatred for the Steelers began because the Steelers often beat the Ravens, but it then turned into an appreciation for the two sides. The rivalry between the two franchises is built off of a mutual respect for one another, with some hate intertwined.
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Steelers' Mike Tomlin (right) greets Ravens' John Harbaugh (left) before a game.
Flynn had a very successful career in the league. He played for 10 seasons, and he won a Super Bowl with the Ravens. He was a consistent starter for the franchise, and a key piece of the organization for years. The former lineman still has hatred for the city of Pittsburgh and the organization that is associated with it, but that is a sign of just how powerful the rivalry between the two franchises can be.
The former lineman also had his hands full whenever he played against the Steelers. Pittsburgh consistently had some great defenses throughout the years of Flynn's playing career, and it could not have been easy preparing for the Steelers for Flynn.
Steelers' Rivalry With The Ravens Lives On
The rivalry between Pittsburgh and Baltimore is still going strong. The games are often close and decided by critical turnovers or other game-breaking plays. Pittsburgh has dropped two in a row to the Ravens, including the playoff loss at the end of the 2024 season, as the Steelers struggled to stop Baltimore's run game. The Steelers clearly made an effort to improve their run defense while also injecting some youth into the defense, which is another sign of a strong rivalry. The two sides craft their rosters with the other team in mind, which is a big reason the games are always pretty tight.
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Pittsburgh Steelers safety DeShon Elliott tackling Ravens' Derrick Henry in the 2024 Wild Card Round.
The Steelers want to be considered contenders, but in order to do that, the team will need to be able to beat the Ravens. Winning the AFC North is going to be critical when it comes to postseason success, and it will be hard to do so without taking down Baltimore.
What do you think about the remarks from Flynn? Let us know in the comments below!
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